Various golfing simulation systems have been developed and used over the years for simulating play on a golf course, including famous golf courses such as Pebble Beach or Augusta National. These conventional golfing simulation systems typically are used at home and involve playing a simulated hole or golf course using computer simulated shots by the user. Although these type of systems may somewhat educate the user about the game of golf, these systems produce only nominal, if any, information representative of the player's actual ability and/or a simulation of the player's interaction with the golf course based on the player's skills. Without some type of actual correlation to the user's actual golf skills, these systems primarily serve as games for promoting golf.
Other golfing simulation systems have also been developed that use actual shots taken toward a simulated screen or onto a distance-marked driving range. These systems allow the golfer to hit a golf ball and then either simulate the distance of travel or manually enter a shot into a computer for playing a simulated course. These systems, however, are not practical for home use. Moreover, simulation accuracy is still limited because the quality of information of user's actual golf shot is limited with these devices.
The common assignee of the present invention has developed systems using acoustics and/or optics for tracking a golf ball during actual flight and for determining the impact point of the ball. Examples of these systems may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,388 by Beard, III et al. entitled "Apparatus And Method For Determining Projectile Impact Locations"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,866 by Beard, III et al. entitled "Apparatus And Method For Determining Projectile Impact Locations"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,068 by Barnes entitled "Apparatus And Method For Detecting Sharp Signal Variations Against Ambient Signals." These systems have made major improvements which increase the value and enjoyment of driving range practice.
Despite substantial improvements in golf simulation systems and despite substantial commercial interest in these systems, the present choices for golfing simulation systems are either playing the simulated golfing systems at home on a computer with no real simulation of the golfer's actual skills or traveling to a driving range.